Colonial Heights Public Schools
Parent Curriculum Guide
4th Marking Period
Grade 3
Science
3.7 Investigate and understand the major components of soil, its origin, and importance to plants and animals including
humans. a) soil provides the support and nutrients necessary for plant growth; b) topsoil – natural product of subsoil and
bedrock; c) components of soils – rock, clay, silt, sand, humus; d) soil is a natural resource and should be conserved
3.10 Investigate and understand that natural events and human influences can affect the survival of species.
c) effects of fire, flood, disease, and erosion on organisms; d) conservation and resource renewal
3.2 Investigate and understand simple machines and uses. a) types of simple machines – lever, screw, pulley, wheel and axle,
inclined plane, and wedge; b) how simple machines function; c) compound machines – scissors, wheelbarrow, and bicycle; d)
examples of simple and compound machines – school, home, and work
3.1 Plan and conduct investigations in which a) predictions and observations are made; b) objects with similar characteristics are
classified into at least two sets and two subsets; c) questions are developed to formulate hypotheses; g) data are gathered,
charted, and graphed (line plot, picture graph, and bar graph); j) inferences are made and conclusions are drawn; and k) natural
events are sequenced chronologically.
Social Studies
3.10 Recognize the importance of government in the community, Virginia, and the United States of America by…
a) explaining the purpose of rules and laws
b) explaining that the basic purposes of government are to make laws, carry out laws, and decide if laws have been
broken
c) explaining that government protects the rights and property of individuals
3.11 Explain the importance of the basic principles that form the foundation of a republican form of government by…
a) describing the individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and equality under the law
b) identifying the contributions of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Thurgood
Marshall, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez
c) recognizing that Veterans Day and Memorial Day honor people who have served to protect the country’s freedoms
d) describing how people can serve the community, state, and nation
3.12 Recognize that Americans are a people of diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who are united by the basic
principles of a republican form of government and respect for individual rights and freedoms.
Math
3.5 Recall the multiplication facts through the twelves table, and the corresponding division facts.
3.14 Identify, describe, compare, and contrast characteristics of plane and solid geometric figures (circle, square, rectangle,
triangle, cube, rectangular prism, square pyramid, sphere, cone, and cylinder) by identifying relevant characteristics,
including the number of angles, vertices, and edges, and the number and shape of faces, using concrete models.
3.15 Identify and draw representations of points, line segments, rays, angles, and lines.
3.16 The student will identify and describe congruent and noncongruent plane figures.
3.17 a) Collect and organize data, using observations, measurements, surveys, or experiments.
b) Construct a line plot, a picture graph, or a bar graph to represent the data.
c) Read and interpret the data represented in line plots, bar graphs, and picture graphs and write a sentence analyzing
the data.
3.19 Recognize and describe a variety of patterns formed using numbers, tables, and pictures, and extend the patterns, using
the same or different forms.
3.20 a) Investigate the identity and the commutative properties for addition and multiplication.
b) Identify examples of the identity and the commutative properties for addition and multiplication.
3.6 Represent multiplication and division, using area, set, and number line models, and create and solve problems that involve
multiplication of two whole numbers, one factor 99 or less and the second factor 5 or less.
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Science Key Vocabulary & Concepts
Soil
Layers of Soil
*nutrients – materials that plants and animals need to live
and grow
*topsoil – upper soil surface and a natural product of
subsoil and bedrock, topsoil is best for plant
growth
*subsoil & bedrock – layers of soil under the topsoil that
are formed over a long period
*humus – decayed matter in soil, located in the topsoil,
adds nutrients to soil
*clay – contains tiny particles of soil that hold water well
and provides nutrients
*sand – made up of small grains of worn-down rock, has few
nutrients, does not hold water well
*silt – made up of very small broken pieces of rock,
particles are larger than clay and smaller than sand
humus
topsoil
of time by the action of water
subsoil
bedrock
Simple Machines
*simple machine – tools that make work easier (i.e. moving a heavy object over a distance, pushing
things apart, changing the direction of a force)
Type of
Simple
Machine
lever
inclined plane
wedge
wheel and axle
screw
pulley
Definition
a stiff bar that moves about a fixed point (fulcrum), used to
push, pull, or lift things
a flat surface that is raised so one end is higher than the
other, helps move heavy objects up or down
wide at one end and pointed at the other to help cut or split
other objects
consists of a rod attached to a wheel, makes it easier to
move or turn things
an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder or cone, common
use is to hold objects together
a wheel that has a rope wrapped around it, can be used to
lift heavy objects by changing the direction or amount of
force
Examples
seesaw
crowbar
shovel
ramp
knife
ax
bicycle wheels
roller skates
doorknob
jar lid
wood screw
flagpole
*compound machine – a combination of two or more simple machines (i.e. scissors, wheelbarrow,
bicycle)
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Social Studies Key Vocabulary & Concepts
Terms to Know
*community – a place where people live, work, and play
*rules – what people must or must not do
*laws – important rules written and carried out by government
*government – a group of people who makes laws, carries out laws, and decides if laws have been broken
*republican form of government – a representative democracy
Days to Remember
*Veterans Day – This is a day for the recognition of and respect for Americans who served in the military. It is
observed in November.
*Memorial Day – This is a day for the recognition of and respect for Americans who died in wars while they
were serving their country. It is observed in May.
Basic Principles
*Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are privileges that people are born with and that cannot be taken
away.
*Equality under the law means that all people are treated fairly.
Citizens Who Defended Basic Principles
George Washington – He was
the first President of the new
nation. He worked under the
new republican form of
government. He helped put the
basic principles into practice for
the new nation.
Abraham Lincoln – He was the
United States President when
the country was divided over
the issue of equality for all
people. He helped free African
American slaves.
Thurgood Marshall – He was a
lawyer who defended people at a
time when not all people had
equal rights. He was the first
African American justice of the
United States Supreme Court.
Cesar Chavez – He was a
Mexican American who worked
to improve conditions for farm
workers.
Thomas Jefferson – He was born
in Virginia. He was the third
President of the United States.
He wrote the Declaration of
Independence, which states that
people have certain rights. He
was a leader who helped develop
the country.
Rosa Parks – She is an African
American woman who refused to
give up her seat on a public bus as
was required by law many years
ago. She helped to bring about
changes in laws and worked so
that all people would have equal
rights.
Martin Luther King, Jr. – He was
an African American minister who
worked for equal rights for all
people. He helped bring about
changes in laws through peaceful
means.
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Math Key Vocabulary & Concepts
*point – an exact location in space
•
A
*line segment – part of a line that has
two endpoints
*angle – formed by two rays having a
common endpoint
Solids
rectangular solid (prism)
Geometric Solids
# of Corners # of Edges
8
12
# of Faces
Shape of Faces
rectangles
6
cube
squares
8
12
6
square pyramid
5
8
5
cylinder
square &
triangles
circles
0
0
2
cone
circle
0
0
1
0
0
0
sphere
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Reading/Language Arts Curriculum for 2011-2012
Oral Language
Grade 3
3.1 Use effective communication skills in group activities. a) Listen attentively by making eye contact, facing the
speaker, asking questions, and summarizing what is said.; b) Ask and respond to questions from teachers and
other group members.; c) Explain what has been learned.; d) Use language appropriate for context.;
e) Increase listening and speaking vocabularies.
3.2 Present brief oral reports using visual media. a) Speak clearly.; b) Use appropriate volume and pitch.;
c) Speak at an understandable rate.; d) Organize ideas sequentially or around major points of information.; e) Use
contextually appropriate language and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
Reading
3.3 Apply word-analysis skills when reading. a) Use knowledge of regular and irregular vowel patterns.; b) Decode
regular multisyllabic words.
3.4 Expand vocabulary when reading. a) Use knowledge of homophones.; b) Use knowledge of roots, affixes,
synonyms, and antonyms.; c) Apply meaning clues, language structure, and phonetic strategies.; d) Use context to
clarify meaning of unfamiliar words.; e) Discuss meanings of words and develop vocabulary by listening and reading
a variety of texts.; f) Use vocabulary from other content areas.; g) Use word reference resources including the
glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.
3.5 Read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional text and poetry. a) Set a purpose for reading.; b) Make
connections between previous experiences and reading selections.; c) Make, confirm, or revise predictions.;
d) Compare and contrast settings, characters, and events.; e) Identify the author’s purpose.; f) Ask and answer
questions about what is read.; g) Draw conclusions about text.; h) Identify the problem and solution.; i) Identify
the main idea.; j) Identify supporting details.; k) Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the
reading process.; l) Differentiate between fiction and nonfiction.; m) Read with fluency and accuracy.
3.6 Continue to read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts. a) Identify the author’s purpose.;
b) Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.; c) Preview and use text features.; d) Ask and
answer questions about what is read.; e) Draw conclusions based on text.; f) Summarize major points found in
nonfiction texts.; g) Identify the main idea.; h) Identify supporting details.; i) Compare and contrast the
characteristics of biographies and autobiographies.; j) Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension
throughout the reading process.; k) Identify new information gained from reading.; l) Read with fluency and
accuracy.
3.7 Demonstrate comprehension of information from a variety of print and electronic resources. a) Use
encyclopedias and other reference books, including online reference materials.; b) Use table of contents, indices,
and charts.
Writing
3.8 The student will write legibly in cursive.
3.9 Write for a variety of purposes. a) Identify the intended audience.; b) Use a variety of prewriting strategies.;
c) Write a clear topic sentence focusing on the main idea.; d) Write a paragraph on the same topic.; e) Use
strategies for organization of information and elaboration according to the type of writing.; f) Include details
that elaborate the main idea.; g) Revise writing for clarity of content using specific vocabulary and information.
3.10 Edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. a) Use complete sentences.;
b) Use transition words to vary sentence structure.; c) Use the word I in compound subjects.; d) Use past and
present verb tense.; e) Use singular possessives.; f) Use commas in a simple series.; g) Use simple
abbreviations.; h) Use apostrophes in contractions with pronouns and in possessives.; i) Use the articles a, an,
and the correctly.; j) Use correct spelling for frequently used sight words, including irregular plurals.
3.11 Write a short report. a) Construct questions about the topic.; b) Identify appropriate resources.; c) Collect
and organize information about the topic into a short report.; d) Understand the difference between plagiarism
and using own words.
3.12 Use available technology for reading and writing.
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